This invention relates to a line and sack assembly, the assembly having such a construction as to provide for the storage of a continuous length of line in a manner permitting controlled portions of the line to be payed out in an orderly fashion and without snarling and knotting of the line.
The line and sack assembly has a multiplicity of uses. For instance, such may be used in the storing of a length of rope in a car, boat, or other vehicle with the rope in readiness for use in emergencies, or for other use (such as a tow rope for waterskiing, or as an anchor rope for a boat). The term "line" is used broadly herein, and includes within its definition an article such as an elongate electric extension cord such as might be used in supplying current to electric mowers and chain saws.
It is widely recognized that a continuous, elongate length of line is an extremely useful if not necessary commodity to have at hand. When not in use, a line may be wound in windings or, more often than not, merely stored as a clump of line. In either case, and particularly if the line is moved from one location to another during nonuse, the line becomes snarled and intertwined, and ends of the line are difficult to locate. Furthermore, in such a state, there is no provision for paying out different amounts of line in a controlled manner, as needed under the circumstances.
What the invention contemplates in a specific embodiment of the invention, is the provision of an elongate sack, preferably of a mesh construction. Line is stored within the sack, with the line formed as multiple collections of line following one another, and such collections being serially located in the interior of the sack. Each collection of line contains passes of line which are unsecured to each other within the sack, and which are restrained so as to be held in place in a loose manner by the transverse extent of the sack. One extremity of the line appears at one end of the sack, and the other extremity of the line appears at the other end of the sack.
In such a state, the line in its collections does not become snarled or knotted. The line is easily payed out in a controlled manner, by pulling on one of the rope extremities and by squeezing on the sack exterior to control the flow of line. As line is pulled from the sack, it first pulls from the collection or accumulation of line appearing at one end of the sack, and when such is fully exhausted, then pulls from the next line accumulation or collection which appears in series with the just exhausted collection.
Provision is made through the presence of an enlarged closeable opening at one end of the sack to reload the sack with serially located accumulations or collections, after use of the rope and for storage purposes. With the sack reloaded, the line is maintained in an ordered manner, whether the sack be moved from place to place, be stepped upon, or bent on itself for storage purposes.
A general object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a unique line and package assembly where the line in the assembly is maintained in an ordered manner and which permits paying out of different amounts of line in a controlled manner.
Another object is to provide such an assembly where the line is readily returned after use to the sack which stores it.